Vancouver, February 12, 2013 – The BC Chamber welcomed the Throne Speech delivered by the Lieutenant Governor today as a measured series of commitments that look to balance the constraints placed on government revenue with the need to focus on certain key areas.

“We are particularly pleased to see that even with an election imminent the government has resisted the temptation to make grand promises and has focused on fiscal prudence and a measured approach that looks to long terms sustainability,” said John Winter, President & CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce.

“The main focus of the Throne Speech is on investing in the future, fiscal prudence, small business and the Asia Pacific, and clearly demonstrates that the government has been listening to the concerns of the business community on how we can maintain BC’s strong economy in challenging economic times.”

The Throne Speech outlined several new commitments that reflect issues of concern to the business community. These measures include a renewed commitment to ensuring BC is the most friendly small business jurisdiction in Canada, a new structure to focus on the Asia Pacific and a focus on debt reduction and balanced budgets.

“The BC Chamber has been on record for some time calling on government to recognize that it must ensure the benefits of our resource sector extend to communities and individuals for generations to come, and the BC Prosperity Fund looks like it could do just that,” continued Winter. “The success of this fund will depend on how government intends to protect the fund from short term political interests. If done properly, this fund will ensure that future generations will reap the rewards of BC’s resource sector.”

The BC Chamber is the largest and most broadly based business organization in the province. Representing over 120 Chambers of Commerce and 32,000 businesses of every size, sector and region of the province the BC Chamber of Commerce is “The Voice of Business in BC.”